Now Fragmented
by BeeHawYeeHaw
Summary: What if Captain John Harts plan had worked, like intended to. REVIEWS ARE ALWAYS APPRECIATED


Gwen has found Owen first, laying on top of a pile of broken bricks and cracked concrete. Threatening glass suspended above his neck, inching closer and closer as she slowly but surely uncovered his (thankfully) intact body.

They'd both let out a yell as they launched away from the mess. The almighty smash of glass against brick telling the two just how close either had been to possible decapitation. God knows how Owen would be after that and neither wanted to find out.

Gwen, with the dead doctor not far behind, rushed to the building Rhys had entered. Mind full of prayers, she climbed over mountains and hills of building blocks.

"Jack?!" She yelled. "Rhys?!" There was silence before Owen shot past her. Voices came from where he'd run. Gwen followed quickly however carefully in her impractically long jeans.

Rounding the corner, there stood the two men she'd been hoping to see. Relief flooded her like having a hot shower after a cold winter's day.

The captain was covered in dust and dirt as to be expected, still otherwise unharmed and just a dashing. Perhaps he'd died…all alone under the weight of the building. Gwen hoped nobody else would go through the same, due to their significantly missing revival skills.

"Tosh was around here," Jack announced, the silent order to start searching reaching both Gwen, Rhys and Owen as Jack waved his arms around the room (if you could call it a room anymore.)

The four set out their task, hunting and calling immediately, Owen looking desperate to find the missing female. Gwen's heart leapt only slightly at his concern. If only he'd just

If only he'd just realise the angel he'd been sent for what she truly was.

But those thoughts were banished as Gwen remembered the severity of the situation. There would be no realising if there wasn't an angel there.

"Gwen! Jack!"

And suddenly she was leaping over fallen lights and running past damaged cabling. In a blink Gwen was beside Rhys, Owen crouched beside a crumbling and toppled-over pillar."Tosh? Toshiko, can you hear me?" He had his familiar doctor tone, as though talking to a patient back in the hospital and safely in bed. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case and Tosh's bed was jagged and rough, not feather-light and comfy. Gwen didn't hear what Toshiko replied, except Owen sprang up from his crouch with haste. "Let's get this damn thing off her before it compresses her even more."

With a silent agreement, the four got to work, managing to lift the crushing pillar with a struggle, but enough to move it off the poor woman. It came with more than enough grunts and huffs although they managed it. And thankfully nothing else came loose. Only sprinkles of hardened clay and ground-up concrete, covering their clothes and gathering in their hair.

Once the deadly collum was thrust away, Owen swooped in like Superman, cupping her fragile head ever so carefully. "Jack, in the SUV there are some supplies I need to numb the pain and stabilise her for now."

Without a word, Jack gave a curt nod and raced from the collapsing structure. Rhys looked as though he wanted to speak his mind but Gwen refused to look him in the eyes, no time for any domestics now. Tosh needed them. Gwen tugged off her jacket and with great care slotted it beneath Toshiko's head. Rhys and Owen had begun to move rubble, clearing a more comfortable place for their friend.

Owen was talking softly to her when her breathing becomes unnatural, short desperate gasps. That spurred the doctor from his docile state and into action, poking and podding Tosh's broken. He looked up, no clear sign of good news on his face. "Broken ribs...I think she's punctured a lung."

The dead man then suddenly looked up in frenzy and Gwen followed his gaze. Jack came springing into their view, shoes echoing in the vacant area. Empty hands and clearly distressed. "Where the hell is the stuff, Jack?!" Owen started, rilled up at the lack of supplies. He was almost hissing through his teeth, anger dripping from each word. "She's going to _die!_"

"The SUV is gone..."

"I'm sorry, I thought you just said the SUV is gone?!"

"It wasn't where we parked it." Jack was looking a little lost. Gwen felt bad, however, she didn't dare move from Tosh's side, holding her hand tightly.

"Did you look?"

"Of course I looked!"

"What about Rhys' car?"

"Rhys' car doesn't have shit"

"Owen..." called a weak and almost inaudible voice. It was followed with a harsh set of coughs, struggling to breathe. _Tosh_. The two men ceased their argument immediately, attention back on the prone woman. Owen reached down to said female and Jack timidly stepped closer. Rhys about looked out of place, clearly uncomfortable. "Owen, I'm sorry..."

"Nah...Nah, save your breath Tosh, don't worry." His true soft side showing through. "We'll get you out of here." Yet somehow they all knew it was a lie. Gwen could feel her eyes watering and soon her husband's arms were wrapped tightly around her. "Sorry about never getting our date." There were an abrupt laugh and a sob. Tosh whispered something as Owen had leant closer. Then it all quietened down to Gwen's soft cries and Tosh' slowly weakening and shortening intakes of air.

That was until the hush stretched out around them, breathing noises gone.

Then the quiet was split again with Owen's raging outburst. The first shout had Gwen flinching back into Rhy's chest however she hardly caught what was being said. With gentle touches Gwen carefully rearranged her fallen friend's body, straightening her limbs and clearing the dirt from her relaxed face. Dull brown eyes that had seen so many wonders and horror were gracefully closed with the movement of her hand. She'd say Toshiko looked peaceful, only that would be dipping into cliches, no matter how true it seemed. The thing is, with that cliche, whoever said it knew it was never true. That and the fact that Toshi's body had been mangled by man-made slabs, nothing peaceful about the odd angle of her arm or the depression of her unmoving chest.

God, she must have been in absolute agony.

When the scene finally settled, the men finally exhausted from shouting and no more tears left for Gwern to lose, did Jack bundle Toshiko's limp form into his arms and hold her like a mother did her newborn. Frightened she could shatter like a china plate.

They all followed him in a sombre step, not a word said as they left the death trap of a structure. It felt almost like a funeral session, following along behind her hearse, a mist of gloom surrounding the Soundless part of four. Even the outside was quiet, no birds chirping, no vehicles driving past. Nothing. Not even wind nor rain. The world had stopped to mourn Toshiko Sato.

Gwen now noticed how the SUV was definitely not parked and finally not insight. Just Rhys's shabby, old four-seaters.

"Where the bloody hell is Ianto?! He should know-"

_"Ianto!"_

/

Ianto...Oh God Ianto. How could Jack forget? He was too focused on Tosh and Owen, who could blame him but that was no excuse. He'd forgotten Ianto. Jack swore he would never again, only just how good was he at keeping promises? Clearly terrible.

One quick glance at Owen, who looked just as gobsmacked as hum, and Jack was again running. He ignored the aches and strain of his muscles from lifting such weights previously. He forced his long legs to carry him over great strides. He was almost gliding across the empty ground tot he second red-bricked building. Leaving the other behind, he wasn't bothering to check if they were following. He had more important things to think about.

Jack's heart raced faster than ever. What if he was hurt, being slowly Squashed to death like Tosh. Jack couldn't bear the thought. He'd already lost one family member, he couldn't lose another. Especially not Ianto.

"Ianto!" Jack basically screamed, fear in his soul and taking over his mind. "Ianto! Answer me! That's an order!" He searched for the familiar figure clad in a black three-piece suit and white shirt. Nothing so far. No signs of life, just dust settling and rumbling of rocks coming free. Jack stopped briefly to shout again except there was nothing. Just the echoes of his own cries.

Jack was now rifling through the similar Heaps of wreckage when he caught sight of a foot in the distance. "_It had to be him..._" Jack thought, hopes rising. "Ianto?"

He swore the appendage moved but he couldn't be certain. That didn't stop his hopes raising higher, forgetting about for the possible let down that could crush his whole world. His pace was hurried, ignoring as his coat snagged on broken rebars and jagged bits of stone. A flat head of dark hair came into view and Jack knew it was him. "Ianto..." It came out breathy, bordering on the edge of relief while trying not to fall into potential false hopes.

Except he wasn't moving. Ianto was almost completely buried in debris, on his head and right arm fully free. Feet poking out at the other end to feel Earth's fresh air

_He wasn't moving..._

Jack first reached his outstretched hand, knuckles bloody and littered with dirt. ("_Infection risk._" He initially thought, "_Need to be cleaned._") But they were still. Next was his arm, just as soiled as the hand yet mainly unharmed. And not moving... Jack skipped ahead to his feet, at least one uncovering and free. _Yet still not moving._ Ianto's body was at an odd angle now that Jack looked properly. Large and heavy bars of metal running straight across his back.

And without looking at his face Jack knew Ianto was gone. Knew it had crushed his spine. Knew he'd died alone...

A thought struck him as Ianto's eyelashes fluttered with Jack's breath. He would never see the Welshman smile again. Never hear the laugh he reserved just for Jack. Never wake up to his bleary, yet beautiful eyes. Jack would miss so much he'd grown used to in their short amount of time...

Before he allowed himself to fall to his knees and weep for eternity, Jack gingerly removed the load on Ianto's back, not wanting to do any more damage. Then once he'd cleared the rubbish, Jack set on brushing the dirt from the archivist's suit. Using his callous hands to brush through hair and over his smoothed out face.

This was how Gwen and Rhys found him. Spine starting to ache and body growing cold with him haunched over. Nothing they could do would cease his task, not letting them pry Ianto from his arms. He wasn't entirely sure if he heard them, making no effort to reply as he rose silently. Once again, he had his arms full and the weight dropped heavily on his already overbearing shoulders. He held his precious cargo tightly and securely to his chest.

The same macabre march was once again started up. "Two times too many." He thought only temporarily. It was walked until the three took their places beside Owen.

"Jack? Oh...teaboy..." the doctor physically slumped, teaing nickname no longer used in his spiteful ways. And to never be used again. Owen took in the sight ahead of him before turning back to Tosh who now laid on top of jackets. Keeping the cold away from her.

But Jack made no effort to lower Ianto to the ground alongside her. Not wanting to sever these last few touches. Not ready to let him go just yet. So he suns to the ground himself, holding his lover up off the unforgiving, rain-beaten terrain. Then, when Jack knew Ianto was no longer in danger, no longer in harms away, did he fall to his knees and mourn as he'd promised. Then did he pull Ianto's body impossibly closer on the wet and rough concrete, soaking through his trousers which Jack hardly registered. Then did the tears flow. Not just for Ianto, but Tosh and everyone else he had ever lost.

Now their team stood fragmented as cries ceased and a silent vigilance was set. Unfortunately, whatever cruel god there was, denied the broken family a grace period, no time for mourning as Jack's wrist strap began to beep. A flash grew from the device. Jack's whole body tensed as he protectively curled around Ianto, his head sickly lolling about with the movement.

In front, in a shade of light electric blue, stood none other than John Har. He looked as smug as ever.

"_Ooh, deja vu..."_


End file.
